Family and Friends Say Goodbye to Redding's "Queen of Culture"

Lani Harris passed away in Florida in December, but she was a cultural staple in Redding in the 1980s.

Posted: Feb. 9, 2019 6:22 PM

Updated: Feb. 9, 2019 6:36 PM

Posted By: Mario Montalvo

REDDING, Calif. - Friends and family members gathered at Redding's Old City Hall Saturday to pay tribute to a woman who made a lasting impact on the Redding art scene.

Lani Harris passed away in December in Florida, but she was a staple in the Redding theater community throughout the 1980s.

She taught theater at Shasta College and established a long-running production of Shakespeare in the Park.

But probably the most visible mark she left on Redding is still standing in downtown, the Old City Hall.

“It was all about this building,” husband Tom Langkau said. “This is a beautiful building. The city was unsure of what to do with it and we saw it as a performance space, they saw it as a performance space and a place that future families and events could happen here. And here it is 30 years afterwards. And it's still being used, and it's a great building. It's a great facility.”

Harris left Redding to teach theater in Florida.

Dozens of her students went on to pursue successful careers in Hollywood and Broadway.